Burley to Lulworth

Sunday October 28, 2018, 39 miles (62 km) - Total so far: 7,373 miles

(11,866 km)

The New Forest hostel was full of very chatty people, so we struggled a bit to get out of the door! Once on our way we had a lovely scenic ride with lots of ponies until we left the national park. We shopped in Christchurch, then we were soon on the sea front, where we stayed for well over 10km. It was lovely to be by the sea, especially on such a beautiful, clear day. The promenade was a bit busy through Bournemouth and Poole, but we were at Sandbanks ferry terminal soon enough. It's a short crossing by chain ferry, costing a whopping £1 for cyclists. Brilliant!

Arriving in Purbeck was like being transplanted a really long way away - so open and quiet! We paused for lunch and then hit the hills. It wasn't as bad as I'd feared, although I guess we did most of our 500m ascent in about 20km. Stunning riding through the military range with wonderful views all around. The road was in good condition too, which meant for fun, fast descents. We paused to take photos of Corfe Castle, but were soon in Lulworth.

We stopped in at the YHA to leave our bags (reception only opens at 5pm) and then headed down to the famous Cove. Oh my, so busy! Somehow we thought it would all be idyllic and peaceful; actually it was heaving with tourists moving between the chip shop and the idea cream shop. We departed hastily! It was still too early for the YHA so we headed to the nearby pub for a well earned pint (and the first real 'pint' since we left the UK!)

This YHA is quite different from Burley - it's tiny! And really quiet! Great for us - and the facilities are up to the usual standard.

Two days to go.....